Bone fan guard with incised linear decoration

Material

Bone

Manufacturing Technology

Carved

Form

Fan Blade/Part

Completeness

Incomplete

Decorative Technology

Incised

Decorative Notes

3 sets of diagonal lines at top of guard, going top left to bottom right. Midway down shaft are 2 horizontal lines. Between diagonal and horizontal lines are a series of cross-hatched lines.

Country of Origin

Indeterminate

Dimensions

12.34mm x 2.68mm x 82.95mm (W x H x L)

Illustration shows object in comparison to the size of a quarter

Weight

3.2 gram(s)

Object Number

1842496

DAACS Number

1842496

Project: House for Families

The structure identified as the “House for Families” on the 1787 Vaughan plan likely housed the majority of the enslaved population living at the Mansion House Farm for much of the second half of the eighteenth century. The building was in existence from circa 1760 until it was demolished in late 1792 or early 1793. The archaeological evidence for the structure consisted of a brick-lined storage cellar (44FX762/40-47) measuring roughly six feet by six feet. Historically the cellar served as a handy trash receptacle once it ceased to be used for its original storage function, and through extensive excavation has yielded an extremely rich assemblage of household refuse. The analysis of these remains offers the opportunity to study important aspects of the daily lives of Mount Vernon's enslaved community.